Verification and Validation for Offshore Safety Cases
Offshore projects worldwide seeking to obtain a license to operate must first demonstrate that they minimize health and safety risks, as well as taking environmental protection into account. In certain regions this is done under a Safety Case Regime (SCR) that requires independent verification or validation.
In the Europe Union and countries like UK, Norway and Australia were SCRs are in place, Safety Case regulations require the duty holder or operators to demonstrate to the regulator that the risks to personnel safety and environmental impact are known and kept under ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable) levels, in order to minimize the probabilities for a major accident event to occur and limiting its consequences in case of occurrence. In the European Union, verification for offshore projects must follow the EU Safety Directives as implemented by each member state.
The physical features of a facility, and elements of the operator’s management system employed at the facility, that eliminate, prevent, reduce or mitigate the risk of major accident events are usually described as Control Measures.
The Safety and Environmental Critical Elements or SECE are the physical components in place as required by the Control Measures.
To assess the ongoing adequacy of control measures to eliminate, prevent, reduce and mitigate the MAEs (Major Accident Events), Performance Standards are defined.
OFFSHORE VERIFICATION AND VALIDATION (Australia)
Offshore Oil & Gas-related Safety Case regulations refer to the necessary existence of an independent third party. Known as the Independent Verification/Validation Body, its main role is the verification to provide assurance that the operator is adequately following approved Safety Case.
The Independent Verification Body has had to demonstrate its capacity as a Competent Party, both in skills and experience by its personnel and its internal quality management procedures. Its scope usually includes:
- Review and comment on the MAHs (Major Accident Hazards), the identified MAE, the selected Control Measures and the Performance Standards.
- Review the written scheme of verification for the Performance Standards which describe the activities required to verify each of them associated with the offshore facilities.
- Conduct third party verification activities against the agreed scheme of verification.
our offer
Bureau Veritas has been recognized as an Independent Verification/Validation Body (IVB) supporting duty holders and their contractors through all project phases up to decommissioning.
Bureau Veritas’ verification and validation services for offshore projects offer several benefits:
- Our in-depth knowledge of applicable regulations and regulatory developments surveillance.
- Qualified design appraisal engineers and surveyors, with comprehensive and auditable qualification and training schemes, as required for Recognized Organizations.
- Broad experience with offshore facilities
- Optimized coverage for floating units that will be under Classification for the hull and marine systems during the EPC phase.
